<p>Any thoughts? It’s not just the newspaper columnists, the talk show hosts, or even the bloggers. It’s the everyday Joes, the watercooler conversationalists, etc. Makes me want to throw copious quantities of valium or xanax into the water supply. We don’t need an outside enemy across the pond somewhere to plot to destroy or divide us. We seem to be doing a perfectly fine job of it ourselves. What’s up with that?</p>
<p>It’s called caring about your cause and responding in kind to attacks.</p>
<p>Temporary insanity? ;)</p>
<h1>1: Words like those are probably tagged at the NSA.</h1>
<p>LOL-- I’ll be sure to ask my relative who works at the NSA if we made their radar screen!</p>
<p>Because people who disagree with you in politics have the ability to change your lifestyle?</p>
<p>And if its temporary insanity, p2n, I’ll have to scrap the benzodiazepine treatment and throw antipsychotics in instead!</p>
<p>Because many people commit themselves too fully to their political party. These people will argue almost any side of any issue in order to support their party or attack the opposing party. Politics only bring out the worst in people who are too stupid or apathetic to think through the issues individually and independent of party affiliation.</p>
<p>Edit: Mr. Payne has a good point as well. It’s normal and healthy for people to get worked up about issues that honestly affect their daily lives. For many people the President doesn’t have a large effect on everyday life, but for some people (often the very rich, the poor, and special interest groups including the far religious right, LGBT individuals, etc.) the party in office can have a huge effect on important aspects of life.</p>
<p>Because we all secretly want to rule the world.</p>
<p>Some people just like to argue for the sake of arguing…</p>
<p>I dunno…I think the vast majority of you all are quite smart and nice. ;)</p>
<p>I agree that politics brings out the worst in people.</p>
<p>But I’m old enough to remember when politics also brought out the best in people - the civil rights marches, etc., when people put their lives on the line for the cause they believed in.</p>
<p>
Those people will usually argue about anything, so politics doesn’t make much difference.</p>
<p>True but politics is a lot more fun. People get pretty fired up over them more than other things. The old saying…“don’t discuss religion, sex or politics”.</p>
<p>hayden-
Good point, though when we were young and marching for the moratorium against the war, burning bras and draftcards, some folks still acted in a way that wouldn’t exactly have made their mothers proud. But that said, when did we go from having causes to being caustic ?? (Ooh, that sounds like something Carrie Bradshaw would say 
)</p>
<p>My guess is that people’s politics are very closely aligned with their core values, so when other people degrade their politics they feel personally insulted.</p>
<p>I never burned a bra back then. I couldn’t have afforded to replace it.</p>
<p>Now, after 2 kids, I would never burn my bra for safety reasons. If I turned around too fast I could kill someone.</p>
<p>There is a lot at stake in this election - who we choose as president and vice president matters as evidenced by the last eight years. </p>
<p>On a social psychological level, I think it has something to do with a lack of connectedness and power that many people feel in their communities. This loss of community had a lot to do with the growth of the evangelical church. The branding of the politcal parties, corporate political contributions, increased media coverage (although not necessarily in depth) and the evolution of political blogs have added to the frenzy positively and negatively - some voters are more informed and some are more stupid, hanging on to shreds of untruth, repeating it over and over till it gains validity. Focus groups, advertising and manipulating information have all added to the problem as well - that’s why getting the money out of elections is important.</p>
<p>Lol, hayden! Never knew bras were expensive till I got married. Women get cleaned on clothing prices.</p>
<p>Wow, lizschup-- pretty thoughtful response… though I was really hoping this thread would be indirectly <em>about</em> politics, but not to include political commentary that slipped in in the last sentence… Would it be ok if we please leave that stuff outside the door?</p>